her well-advertised storefront. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that sooner.”
Ahna tapped a long talon on her chin. “Why are you hunting this creature?”
“She has my grandmother,” I said.
Casper stared at me as if I had two heads. “Your grandmother is here? Like, here here?”
“Long story.” Criminy waved a dismissing hand. “Point is, we’re in a bit of a time crunch and need to know who’s the most dangerous magician in London these days.”
“Mr. Sweeting,” Ahna said, her voice as cold as snow.
“He’s the cousin of Monsieur Charmant,” Demi added. “You know, the dude who almost killed me in the Paris catacombs? Not a nice guy.”
“We don’t need him to be nice. We need him to be foolish enough to touch Tish,” Criminy said.
“Mm. Yes. She’s terrifying.” Ahna snorted and booped my nose with one finger, and the glance came on stronger than it ever had, crystal clear and ultra-bright.
Casper and Criminy focused on me, waiting. They’d both seen me glance often enough to know what had just happened, why I’d gone suddenly still. The twin fear reflected on their oh-so-different faces told me that giving Ahna any clue whatsoever that I’d seen inside her mind would basically be suicide. People weren’t allowed to simply access the Blud queen’s destiny as if it were a radio station. But I knew well enough to feign ignorance.
As for Ahna, she had no idea what had happened and merely laughed a wild laugh and said, “Silly Strangers. Pick that poor man’s jaw up off the floor and come upstairs, Casper. I wish you well, but I do not give lectures or a little charity.”
He was already scribbling but soon tipped his tall hat to me. “See anything good?” he whispered.
I’d seen more than I’d ever tell him, but for now I just smirked. “How do you feel about twins?”
“Soon?” He gulped, eyes to the door.
I shrugged. “It was winter, but considering we barely age, who knows what year?”
Looking distracted, charmed, and dazed, he patted me on the shoulder and hurried in the direction Ahna had flounced toward, tossing a “Thanks, darlin’!” over his shoulder.
“Well?” Criminy asked as soon as they were gone, back to his usual quick self once he was out of Ahna’s orbit.
Demi leaned closer, eyes twinkling for scandal.
I thought back through the piercing jumble I’d seen in the glance. “Another royal wedding, between Ahna’s brother, Prince Alexi, and a younger Bludwoman dressed all in brown. Ahna’s going to have twin girls and, later, a boy who’ll get into a ton of trouble and have Casper’s dimples. Casper’s finally going to write an original song.” I smiled. “No tragedy that I could see. Good, long lives.”
“Tragedy? Looks like we arrived right on time to divert it, yes?”
Hearing Vale’s voice, Demi bolted up from the couch like a kid at Christmas and threw herself into the Franchian brigand’s arms. I’d seen him dressed up in tux and tails and in the traditional all-black of his Dread Pirate Roberts look, but today he wore a workingman’s clothes, striped pants, and an open-necked shirt with an old, stained waistcoat. When he went to hug me as usual, I automatically recoiled. He was half Abyssinian, and my body knew it. His blood would have the same effect on me as rabies on a dog, which meant that he smelled sharp and repellent, like bug spray hitting the back of my throat.
The man at Vale’s side was unfamiliar, but he piqued my immediate interest. Not only because he looked like Thor in a kilt but also because a grackle sat on his hat, blinking at me with curious golden eyes. Demi introduced him as Thom, a London firefighter who had rebuilt most of her theater from the bones up.
“And who is this fine fellow?” I asked, with a nod to his bird. Tame pets were rare in Sang, and as much as I liked Crim’s copper monkey, I missed real animals.
“Oh, that’s Archie.” I liked Thom even more when I heard his
Ahna tapped a long talon on her chin. “Why are you hunting this creature?”
“She has my grandmother,” I said.
Casper stared at me as if I had two heads. “Your grandmother is here? Like, here here?”
“Long story.” Criminy waved a dismissing hand. “Point is, we’re in a bit of a time crunch and need to know who’s the most dangerous magician in London these days.”
“Mr. Sweeting,” Ahna said, her voice as cold as snow.
“He’s the cousin of Monsieur Charmant,” Demi added. “You know, the dude who almost killed me in the Paris catacombs? Not a nice guy.”
“We don’t need him to be nice. We need him to be foolish enough to touch Tish,” Criminy said.
“Mm. Yes. She’s terrifying.” Ahna snorted and booped my nose with one finger, and the glance came on stronger than it ever had, crystal clear and ultra-bright.
Casper and Criminy focused on me, waiting. They’d both seen me glance often enough to know what had just happened, why I’d gone suddenly still. The twin fear reflected on their oh-so-different faces told me that giving Ahna any clue whatsoever that I’d seen inside her mind would basically be suicide. People weren’t allowed to simply access the Blud queen’s destiny as if it were a radio station. But I knew well enough to feign ignorance.
As for Ahna, she had no idea what had happened and merely laughed a wild laugh and said, “Silly Strangers. Pick that poor man’s jaw up off the floor and come upstairs, Casper. I wish you well, but I do not give lectures or a little charity.”
He was already scribbling but soon tipped his tall hat to me. “See anything good?” he whispered.
I’d seen more than I’d ever tell him, but for now I just smirked. “How do you feel about twins?”
“Soon?” He gulped, eyes to the door.
I shrugged. “It was winter, but considering we barely age, who knows what year?”
Looking distracted, charmed, and dazed, he patted me on the shoulder and hurried in the direction Ahna had flounced toward, tossing a “Thanks, darlin’!” over his shoulder.
“Well?” Criminy asked as soon as they were gone, back to his usual quick self once he was out of Ahna’s orbit.
Demi leaned closer, eyes twinkling for scandal.
I thought back through the piercing jumble I’d seen in the glance. “Another royal wedding, between Ahna’s brother, Prince Alexi, and a younger Bludwoman dressed all in brown. Ahna’s going to have twin girls and, later, a boy who’ll get into a ton of trouble and have Casper’s dimples. Casper’s finally going to write an original song.” I smiled. “No tragedy that I could see. Good, long lives.”
“Tragedy? Looks like we arrived right on time to divert it, yes?”
Hearing Vale’s voice, Demi bolted up from the couch like a kid at Christmas and threw herself into the Franchian brigand’s arms. I’d seen him dressed up in tux and tails and in the traditional all-black of his Dread Pirate Roberts look, but today he wore a workingman’s clothes, striped pants, and an open-necked shirt with an old, stained waistcoat. When he went to hug me as usual, I automatically recoiled. He was half Abyssinian, and my body knew it. His blood would have the same effect on me as rabies on a dog, which meant that he smelled sharp and repellent, like bug spray hitting the back of my throat.
The man at Vale’s side was unfamiliar, but he piqued my immediate interest. Not only because he looked like Thor in a kilt but also because a grackle sat on his hat, blinking at me with curious golden eyes. Demi introduced him as Thom, a London firefighter who had rebuilt most of her theater from the bones up.
“And who is this fine fellow?” I asked, with a nod to his bird. Tame pets were rare in Sang, and as much as I liked Crim’s copper monkey, I missed real animals.
“Oh, that’s Archie.” I liked Thom even more when I heard his
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